NY Noire II

Ben Hupfer is passionate about the Fifties and Sixties. His interest for this period also includes the cinema and in particular the trend for the film noir genre. Film noir has a true visual identity. Expressionist lighting creates strong contrasts and leaves large parts of the screen in obscurity. The decor is often urban and there are numerous late-night scenes. The Times Square districts and its section of Broadway evoke these atmospheres for him. Between the ultramodern buildings and the old buildings typical of New York, this part of the city seems timeless. Ben Hupfer chooses to take photographs at night and therefore highlights urban lighting as well as the lights of moving vehicles. To capture the effects of speed with the car lights in Times Square, Ben Hupfer used a tripod to enable a long exposure time. This technique allows him to capture movement and to thus produce a powerful image of the city?s energy. To recreate the mood in the 50s and 60s, the photographer uses a particular colour code obtained through the use of a multitude of layers. He thus obtains colours which are a little forced, dominant reds and blues without losing the intensity of the black and white. This effect immediately evokes a dated finish.